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Tag: Streaming Services

  • Disney+ arrives on Hotstar; what next for the rebranded service?

    Disney+ arrives on Hotstar; what next for the rebranded service?

    MUMBAI: Disney+ marks its much-awaited arrival in the crowded over-the-top (OTT) ecosystem. Wednesday morning onwards, a large part of Disney+ content catalogue has been made available on Hotstar which now comes under the umbrella of The Walt Disney Co post acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The black-yellow logo of Hotstar has also been  replaced by blue and white design for Disney+ Hotstar. 

    The entertainment giant has made its debut ahead of its scheduled time. Former CEO of Disney Bob Iger earlier said that they would be launching the service in India through Hotstar on 29 March at the beginning of the Indian Premier League. However, Hotstar did not make any statement on the early launch or give any clarity if its a test launch.

    Under the leadership of Iger, the giant media conglomerate has embarked on the streaming war in the OTT world dominated by the likes of Netflix and Amazon. Iger said that Disney+ would remain focused on providing quality content from its core franchises and brands, not just on the quantity of the library. As the service was also gearing up for international launch, Iger noted that they would leverage the success of Hotstar in India by bundling the two services.

    “Disney+ will be more positioned as a premium offering. It will open up a segment of the market that is not largely consuming international content at this point. It will position Hotstar with those consumers. It will improve Hotstar premium positioning,” Deloitte India partner Jehil Thakkar says. 

    “It will help Hotstar target a segment of the market that is actually paying for content. The 30-40 mn people in this country who are willing to play premium prices for an international as well as premium Indian content, It will help Hotstar position well with those consumers,” he adds. 

    Iger said post Q1 earnings that the new streaming service, Disney+ reached 28.6 million subscribers. After he stepped down from his position as CEO, it was reported that he would continue to spend much of his time focusing on the streaming service into the role of executive chairman. 

    “Disney has a big amount of content library and it is largely kids-focused. In India, there are not too many kids based OTT platforms. Kids' content is a big market. Putting Disney content on Hotstar, making the look crisp, it will have a good impact on the subscriber base,” Elara Capital VP – research analyst (Media) Karan Taurani said. 

    Taurani also added that as India is a very fragmented market, the entry of one more global giant who is serious to stay here will not impact the global giants except the smaller players. However, Thakkar is of a different opinion. According to him, Disney+ will first position itself as an international content provider. Hence, it will increase competition for international players primarily. 

    While Hotstar has already established its position in the advertising-based video-on-demand play surpassing 300 million active users, the Disney+ launch will definitely boost its newly launched subscription service also. The huge combined library of those two giants will challenge other deep-pocket international players who also see India as their next frontier of growth. However, the pricing which has not been revealed yet will also be a deciding factor of the new rebranded service’s fate. 

  • ALTBalaji management confident of breakeven by April-June 2020

    ALTBalaji management confident of breakeven by April-June 2020

    MUMBAI: Ekta Kapoor’s over-the-top platform has managed to solve the OTT revenue question. The ALTBalaji management always spoke of profitability and breaking even rather than cash-burn and tons of investment and it seems that aspiration will soon be achieved.

    The management at Balaji Telefilms remains relentlessly upbeat about lowering the recorded loss in the balance sheet gradually. In the third quarter, it stood at about Rs 16 crore. As shared with investors in an earnings call, the management is optimistic to bring it down to single digit in the fourth quarter. “April-June onwards we will practically breakeven the ALT business,” the company says. It also mentions that the breakeven is at the P&L level.

    Before September 2019, ALTBalaji shows were available for free on telco services. The indirect customers were yielding very low average revenue per user (ARPU) bordering between Rs10 to 15. The platform last year entered in a deal with ZEE5 also. All 42 shows which were produced before September are exclusive to ALTBalaji and the 13 co-produced shows on both platforms. Due to the changes, now all ALTBalaji content is behind a paywall, be it on its own service or on ZEE5.  

    “This has enabled us to one raise our ARPU. Secondly we have direct subscriptions going up, as a result year-on-year. We are doubling our subscription revenue overall and also through direct subscribers, so that is the benefit of going behind paywall. We feel that as our library increases we need to ensure that people form the habit of paying for our content and our content is not offered free. We had to do telco deals and give it off free in the first, probably 30 months of our existence because our library was small, but now we have taken a call, now with the library is growing that we are going to go only behind paywall,” the management reaffirms.

    The revenue has gone up this quarter too which stood at Rs 23.1 crore in Q3. The management thinks numbers are looking more and more cheerful in terms of the topline. It attributes it to two factors – one, the exclusive 42 shows and the ZEE deal. Because of the deal, it has been able to manage P&L and revenues.

    “It is a 60-40 content share, 60 per cent of our content cost is picked up by ZEE and I think on an annual basis that will amount to at least about Rs 80 crore to 90 crore and the rest of the money that we spend on the apps has to be made by us directly through our exclusive live and show that exploit and as a result of that we hope to breakeven between 36 to 48 months from our launch,” the management states.

    The management is very confident that its direct subscription revenues are doubling every year. At the closing of this financial year, it estimates the figure to stand well above Rs 31 crore to 32 crore . It is also expecting to double direct subscription revenues next year as well. Moreover, the two-year  ZEE partnership will also span most of the next financial year leaking into the year after.

    “We want to be the only OTT platform in the country that has broken even that too with a considerable base of originally-produced shows. We are now the number one store house of originally produced Hindi content in country and we will also demonstrate that we are able to market our shows exclusively better than everybody else because our efficiencies are better. We are achieving this at a much lower marketing spend than the competition,” the management says.

    “That is reflected in the fact that we are consistently in the top four gross billing OTT apps on the Android and the iOS web store pick any month in the last 12 months we will always be in the top four, though our rate to the consumer is probably one of the lowest it is Rs 100 for three months and Rs 300 for a year."

    "What we are therefore setting to establish is that there is a mass market, which we are successfully able to target and operate a profitable OTT business with the topline of about Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore in the coming two financials,” it adds.

  • The top shows on AVOD services

    The top shows on AVOD services

    MUMBAI: It’s been raining premium originals on streaming services such as ZEE5, Hotstar, Netflix, Hoichoi, Arre, ALTBalaji and MX Player. The genres have been varied, but what makes the shows stand out is the quality of storytelling, production values, and casting. The good ones have a cinematic quality about them. Some of them hide behind pay walls and some are on free services, dependent on advertising. But there’s no doubt they are generating buzz amongst subscribers and viewers – some more than the other.

    What’s also working well on a handful of broadcaster-linked streaming services is the catch-up shows which either debut on their OTTs or on television. Some of these get larger audiences and watch times than do the premium originals made for OTT.

    They also serve to bring viewers back almost daily to watch the release of new episodes or catch up with the ones they have missed. Most of the top notch premium originals are on SVOD services, which release data when they want to.

    Choosing the most popular ones without any metrics or data to rely on is therefore  a challenge. However, we at indiantelevision.com took a shot at drawing up a list of shows on advertising video on demand (AVoD) platforms that we think made an impression and were a favourite amongst the OTT-bingers.

    The list is not definitive, is in random order, and it is subjective without any malice intended towards those who do not feature in it. Read on to find out.

    Kumkum Bhagya :

    Kumkum Bhagya is a ZEE TV drama series about a star-crossed couple Abhi and Pragya, who are now separated. Ranbeer falls in love with their daughter Prachi, while their other daughter Rhea vies for his attention. The show with a very high BARC rating has been running for the past five years on television, but it attracts viewers on Zee TV’s ZEE5 service as well.

    Thinkistan:

    Made by Rajnish Lall of Jigsaw Pictures, it is the story of the Indian advertising world in an era when the industry was just beginning to stand out. Created and written by Paddy, set in an ad agency in the 1990s, it chronicles the journey of two advertising professionals in an entertaining manner. It also touches upon one of the most prevalent problems which was deep-rooted in the industry – inherent bias against languages other than English. India’s answer to Mad Men has already launched its second season too.

    Kundali Bhagya:

    Kundali Bhagya is a ZEE TV drama television series starring Shraddha Arya, Dheeraj Dhoopar and Manjit Joura. The story revolves around the two sisters of Pragya, from Kumkum Bhagya. Her sisters are Preeta and Shrishti who discover the existence of their mother Sarla and sister Pragya, after their father’s death. The sisters try to unite with their mother and sister.

    Big Boss:

    The saga of friendship, betrayal, love, bonding, feud, laugher, tears in a house full of celebrities – the formula to keep the audience glued to a show even in its thirteenth edition. Big Boss changed the meaning of reality shows in the country since its first season. The star-studded contestant list, and the association of Salman Khan with the show for more than a decade have favoured it to sustain the excitement, engagement among its fans. While the 100-day reality show is being aired on Colors, it gets millions of viewers on Viacom18’s digital arm VOOT as well.  

    Sembaruthi:

    Sembaruthi is a ZEE Tamil romantic drama TV series about circumstances that force Parvathy and Aditya, the son of an affluent woman, Akhilandeshwari, to get married secretly. But will the shrewd Akhilandeshwari, who has high hopes for her son, learn their secret? If you are not able to watch it on TV, you can definitely go to ZEE5 to find the answer.

    Queen:

    The MX Player original Queen has really ruled the web-entertainment space after it was launched in December. Shakti Seshadri, the central character of the web-series, bears strong resemblances to the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. In the course of portraying a majestic political leader, the narrative does not glorify the character. The realistic emotional tonality of the story makes viewers connect to it. Along with a strong storyline, Queen offers a brilliant screenplay to from its  writers.

    Fuh se Fantasy:

    Fuh se Fantasy , the VOOT original is about the delight in modern relationships that dare to explore their deepest, quirkiest and most exciting desires. The 10-episode series which started streaming on VOOT last year features popular faces such as Karan Wahi, Plabita Borthakur,Naveen Kasturia, Anshuman Malhotra , Gaurav Pandey and Anupriya Goenka. The millennial audience will certainly connect to the anthology as it takes a look at the tabooed and unsaid desires.

    Feet up with the Stars:

    You may like to peep into the lives of your favourite celebrity but all the quintessential interviews make you wane. VOOT has a brilliant alternative, Feet up with the Stars  – a chat show which has caught word of mouth for its intimate and personal conversation. The celebrities here talk more about themselves in a personal and cosy set up rather than taking a dig on others in the B-town. After its first season cut through the clutter of chat shows, the one of its kind chat show came back with the second season last year.

    Agga Bai Sasubai:

    Agga Bai Sasubai on ZEE Marathi tells the story of the loving bond Asawari shares with her daughter-in-law, Shubhra. The women stick together during good times and bad and help each other face the challenges life throws at them. A refreshing and unique take on saas-bahu relationships is also available anytime anywhere on ZEE5.

    Rani Rashmoni:

    Rani Rashmoni is a Bengali television period drama series starring Ditipriya Roy in the lead. The show on Zee Bangla revolves around the life and struggle of Rani Rashmoni, widow of Babu Rajachandra Das of Janbazar, Kolkata. She took charge of the zamindari and business, after her husband's death and proved herself as an effective leader. The show has created a buzz in the Bengali market and has become a part of daily routine in many Bengali households.  If you are keen to look back at the life of a fierce lady of the colonial era, it can be watched on ZEE5 as well.

    Kalyana Vaibhogam:

    Kalyana Vaibhogam is a ZEE Telugu drama television series that also lures viewers to ZEE5 platform too. The Suryadevara Family is cursed and the first wife of all their first sons are bound to be chomped by the jaws of death. While Nithya and Jai, the current heir of the family, fall in love, Nithya’s mother is aware of the curse and replaces her daughter with a lookalike, Manga, an innocent village girl. How things fall in place between Jai, Manga and Nithya forms the crux of the story.

    Hello Mini:

    Someone has been watching, following every move of a girl living alone in Mumbai. Does it sound terrifying? MX Player’s thriller drama series Hello Mini revolves around her life. The protagonist Rivanah Bannerjee who moved from Kolkata to Mumbai seems to have everything at the place in the beginning – a good job, loving boyfriend but as the story goes on her life also goes topsy-turvy. The mystery around the stalker, however, prevails throughout the series making it binge-worthy.

    Gattimela:

    Gattimela is a drama television series on ZEE Kannada starring Sudha Narasimharaju, Rakshith Gowda and others. The story revolves around Vedanth and Amulya, 2 people with contradicting personalities, who are constantly at loggerheads whenever they meet. Whether both of them will turn their sour relationship into a loving one forms the rest of the story. The local users love sampling the show on ZEE5 also. 

  • What factors drive content commissioning decision of OTT platforms?

    What factors drive content commissioning decision of OTT platforms?

    MUMBAI: From the later part of 2017, streaming players have delivered many “blockbuster originals”. Social media chatters, peer groups, office rooms see numerous discussions on premium content available on ZEE5, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar, Voot , MX Player and so on. But what are the key factors that help OTT platforms to wisely craft their content library?

    In the last two years, a plethora of content was churned out by over-the-top (OTT) players in the country. Despite high investment in production, and marketing, not every show could create a buzz like Sacred Games, Inside Edge, The Family Man, Mirzapur, Karenjit Kaur, Rangbaaz, Thinkistaan. With a curiosity to find the secret sauce of this success, Indiantelevision.com spoke to experts on what are the prime factors they focus on while content commissioning as well as licensing. However, it was evident from the discussions that one simple factor stays at the centre of it – user taste and preference.

    ZEE5 India programming head Aparna Acharekar says data is the first benchmark and the decision starts with that, and ends with that. She reaffirms that data is the new oil that runs the entire industry. According to her, whether it is acquisition or buying, filters will have to be the same. The process has changed massively compared to one or two years back. A lot of their earlier commissioning was based on the overall knowledge of what consumers in OTT like.

    “Depending upon who I have on the platform, who I want to be on my platform, which is that most valuable group that I want to cultivate, acquisition also happens, commissioning happens, green lighting of original projects happen. Everything is guided by that one. Finally who we do this for, the consumer, the demand that is fuelling the supply,” she adds.

    Amazon Prime Video India content director and head Vijay Subramaniam says the decision of content commissioning starts with the customer, understanding her tastes and preferences, looking at how its evolving and what meaning the platform makes of it. Accord to him another input is diversity as India has multiple communities, several micro cultures. Hence, he adds it's important to recognise the nuanced changes between all of these communities and be able to tell stories that matter to all. He also says that it's important to respect diversity of individuals as well.

    “What do Indians care about? We know they care about movies. And so then they care about the latest and the greatest movies. It's important to be able to provide that to our customers, you know, young adults care about comedies, making selection there. So I think all this comes from an innate understanding of customers preferences towards content, also looking at everything else that's available to them, and where are the open spaces where there is a need and that is unfulfilled,” he states.

    “User is going to be at centre of this. Product, marketing, tech, content revolves around him. Either it can get me a lot of new users which are not there on my platform today or to my existing audiences it will drive higher views,” VOOT AVoD business head Akash Banerji comments.

    After announcing Q3 result, ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka said that the network would continue to invest in original content for ZEE5 to create a rich content library that will make it a compelling offering for consumers. Recently, Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings said that the online video streaming company is investing Rs 3,000 crore in 2019 and 2020 to create more original content from India. Amazon chief Jeff Bezos also recently revealed his intention to double down the investment for the company's streaming service, Prime Video.  Moreover, Times Internet-owned OTT platform MX Player also announced recently a $110 million (INR 775 crore) funding round from Tencent and its parent entity. Hence, it is strongly clear that both homegrown and international players will be churning more premium quality content in the coming years.

    “Content commissioning takes a lot of time but you have to really look at who the show is being made for. We are overall a very consumer and customer-centric company,” MX Player chief content officer Gautam Talwar says.

    Talwar points out another important fact. “We also look at, are we overindexed or under for a certain genre? So we have to look at what is the balance required per genre,” he adds.

    Acharekar notes another clichéd but important factor. Content strategy is derived from business strategy. So what is the business need, how will the platform get more subscriptions? It’s not about getting accolades for content. But it’s about what is that content able to get for the platform as a business.

  • Audience open to stories that push imagination: Amazon Prime Video’s Vijay Subramaniam

    Audience open to stories that push imagination: Amazon Prime Video’s Vijay Subramaniam

    MUMBAI: The steaming boom in India has unleashed the creativity of storytellers across the country. While several barriers to freedom of storytelling have disappeared with the entry of the over-the-top (OTT) platforms, a considerable expansion in content themes is noticeable too. Hence, streaming services have led to an evolution in consumers’ content preference and taste along with their viewing habit. Amazon Prime Video India content director and head Vijay Subramaniam says on a happy note that people are definitely open to stories that push their imagination.

    “Everybody is hungry for a compelling fresh take on stories. People are definitely open to stories that push their imagination, that are smart, that are authentic. These are things that people really care about. You look at the success of Four More Shots Please, truly authentic, feminine gaze about women, unashamedly front and center. So I think it's great validation and understanding that customers are open and keen on embracing this kind of story,” Subramaniam shares during a conversation.

    Subramaniam says that 2019 was mounting in terms of film content too as there were lots of big films, in the various languages, not just in Hindi. He also adds that it’s very encouraging to see creators and producers getting more ambitious with the kind of stories they want to tell cinematically, and that's good for customers, whether they are watching it in theatres or own devices. He thinks it is equally encouraging to see high concept stories winning the other end of the spectrum which allows producers to think on both ends of the spectrum.

    “2019 was interesting (for Amazon Prime Video). The ramping up content takes some time and I think in 2019, we were able to come close to a full suite when it came to our films. We will be committed to expanding the overall coverage by adding four more Indian languages Malayalam, Kannada, Gujarati and Punjabi. I think our selection in the film when it came to Hindi, Tamil, Telugu besides Hollywood, we were able to take it up a few notches whilst getting started on the other four languages,” he comments.

    He also mentions that it was the first year for Amazon Prime Video India to put returning seasons of the shows including Comicstaan Season Two and Inside Edge season Two. The returning seasons and putting up content more frequently helped in lot of learnings. According to him, 2019 has prepped them well for next few years and helped them to improve some of the processes including how they go about bringing content to customers, marketing along with other elements.

    Talking about the challenges, he says that creatively still the amount of time it takes to bring a good show together remains. While he also mentions there is no shortcut for that, he adds that as people get better with craft and the whole framework of long-form, they will be able to generate things faster. They are also ramping up the content in development on their side, so the pipeline becomes fatter and content cones quicker.

    “I think, from an expansion standpoint, some of the languages we'd like to do a lot more in, is constrained by the, the dynamics of the marketplace, there's just not enough high quality content to go and acquire. And that remains, I mean, but that's also descriptive of the nature of that local market. That's something that will evolve as we show more interest and I am pretty hopeful more creators will step forward,” he adds.

    “Customers today have their specific interests. And alongside those specific interests, they have this large overlapping interest as well. So they detach when it when they need to go to their specific interest. And they reconnect when it when the interest are common. So when it comes to stand up comedy, young adults love, they have their own  different flavors, but all of them congregate to watch Family Man or War because it's broadly appealing. So it's very interesting to see that and therefore, it's important to make sure that the Thali (content slate) has enough variety in it, but at the same time that it's not for the sake of it, but because people actually have different tastes while there is something right in the middle, which is the main-course,” he brings up one of the interesting leanings from the last year.

    Amazon Prime Video is expected to release 10-12 originals in 2020. Moreover, Subramaniam says that they will continue to grow the platform’s language selection. The platform will ramp up its language catalogue in Malayalam, Kannada, Gujarati and Punjabi while they want to take up Tamil, Telugu further a few notches. The platform looks at going deeper across its content verticals whether it's films, originals or stand up comedy.  The platform promises to stay committed to continuously improving the overall customer experience including product, content, UX, UI.

    “I think for us from a content lens, it's important to continue to look at India with all of its diversity , the Indianness, the local language elements whilst telling stories that continue to, you know, remain in different spaces, bringing people together,” he states. 

  • Netflix available in more than 300 mn pay-TV households

    Netflix available in more than 300 mn pay-TV households

    MUMBAI: A new report from UK research firm Ampere Analysis has said that Netflix is available in more than 300 million pay-TV households. It also added that more than 50 million of those have come during 2019.

    The reach through Pay TV partnerships is almost double the company's current global subscriber base of 158 million. Netflix has been active in signing deals with pay-TV operators to extend its global reach. This year also, Netflix has signed more than 15 deals with major international pay-TV operators.

    While Western Europe has highly contributed to the growth, Netflix is available in about 86 per cent of all pay-TV homes in North America. The report also found that the streaming platform was available in about one-quarter of pay TV households in the Middle East and North Africa at the end of 2018, driven by its regional partnership with operator OSN. However, the partnership ended in August 2019, leaving Israel as the only market in the region with existing deals.

    The scenario is different in Central and South America, Asia Pacific and Central and Eastern Europe are blank canvases for Netflix. There are 400 million pay-TV subscribers in the region excluding China but Netflix has availability to about 40 million of those. While India is a key market for Netflix, fewer than one per cent of all pay-TV households in India subscribe to the OTT platform.

    “These onboarding deals give Netflix pay TV reach in every region bar SubSaharan Africa, while the Western European pay TV market has shown the most rapid growth for these deals,” the report said.

  • Top Netflix executive dismisses reports on meetings with RSS

    Top Netflix executive dismisses reports on meetings with RSS

    MUMBAI: Top Netflix executive has denied the rumoured meeting of the streaming service and representatives of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Netflix India International Original film director Srishti Behl Arya termed the reports as “fake news”.

    A few days ago, media reports floated on the meetings of RSS representatives with officials of online streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon to restrict ‘antinational’ and ‘anti-Hindu’ content on shows and urge them to show content that “represents real Indian culture and ethos.”

    “It’s not a true story. There was no meeting at all. It’s a fake news,” Behl Arya said at a panel titled “Artistic Freedom: Mapping Out The Entertainment Story” at the ongoing Jio MAMI 21st Mumbai Film Festival Dismissing the report as “completely false,” PTI reported.

    Amazon Prime India Originals head Aparna Purohit said, "We will continue to comply with the law of the land." 

    "The law is the law. It's not like, 'I don't like you, so I'm going to stab you.' Whatever is permitted by the law, we would go into those spaces and the rest is all about the stories that creators want to tell," Behl Arya elaborated.

    Recently Reuters also reported quoting a government official that the government might impose censorship on streaming platforms which may cause censorship threats  for services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar. 

  • ZEE5 plans more show franchises, to invest in direct-to-digital movies

    ZEE5 plans more show franchises, to invest in direct-to-digital movies

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (ZEEL) digital arm ZEE5 has built its library on the back of marquee properties and regional content since the time of its entry in the burgeoning over-the-top (OTT) ecosystem. After hitting the audience with a number of popular original shows and direct-to-digital movies, the platform is planning to bring more franchises like Rangbaaz. Moreover, while ZEE5 will continue to invest in buying movies, the platform is also planning to invest more in direct-to-digital movies.

    “Among the few things we have learnt, the first is that we want to bring more franchises. We are making follow-up seasons of some of the bigger shows like Rangbaaz and The Final Call,” ZEE5 India CEO Tarun Katial said in an interaction with Indiantelevision.com.

    “The other thing we have been able to do is an extension of existing TV show library. We did Subhan Allah into Ishq Ajkal, we did Jamai Raja into Jamai 2.0. There’s a lot more treasure in the ZEE library. Also, we have seen a very successful direct-to-digitals. While we will continue to invest in buying movies, this is a getaway to hedge cost and build own IPs. So, we are planning to invest more in direct-to-digital movies,” he added.

    Katial also noted that while the platform started the year with the commitment of creating one of the largest libraries of regional content in the country, ZEE5 consistently created content not only Hindi content but  also content in Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, and even in Kannada.

    Katial also mentioned that among all the regional markets, the “film and original crazy” Telugu market has been doing amazingly well. As he shared, the Tamil market is also doing well after Telugu while Kannada has been a very surprising market, one of their fastest-growing markets in the regional sphere.

    While all three of these markets have regional packs, some of the users who first buy into the regional packs in Telugu and Kannada markets upgrade themselves into an all-access pack to consume some of the Hindi originals and Hindi movies. Hence, the regional packs have acted as a good entry point for consumers to sample ZEE5 and then eventually to upgrade into full subscription packages.

    ZEE5 also entered into an unusual content partnership with ALTBalaji in July to co-create original content which are available on both the platforms. Katial said that the partnership has doubled the content output every single month. He also added that it allows them to talk to different taste clusters and build certain amount of velocity behind moving, upgrading consumers from AVOD to SVOD.

    ZEE5 also broadened a lot of technology partners across the world this year. “It has been able to give us a strong collaborative recommendation engine, a consumer data platform that can engage with our consumers real-time and to be able to trigger consumption and as well as trigger updates and subscriptions that we can understand and communicate in their language, need and requirement,” he said.

    Katial also added that they noticed over a period of time that product and user journey needed to be enhanced. Hence, the platform has launched a plethora of new apps on smart TV devices with new UI, new subscription journeys enhancing its ability to onboard new users more easily. In addition to that, he noted that ZEE5 has been able to invest in data sciences this year helping them to add a fair amount of user knowledge to improve decision making, ability to create content and user experiences and more importantly to take long-term decisions on different kind of product cases.

    “The strength of market lies in two things. One is the device-ecosystem which is growing extremely well not only just on the mobile side but also on the smart-TV side. And the other is the growth of the data consumption story and video consumption is the largest part of data consumption. These are the two indicators of why Indians are going to consume more digital video and with that there will be better opportunities both on the ad-supported side as well as on the subscription side,” he commented on how the overall ecosystem has fared. 

  • No current plans to impose regulation on OTT sector: MIB secretary

    No current plans to impose regulation on OTT sector: MIB secretary

    MUMBAI: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) secretary Amit Khare said there is a need to rethink regulating over-the-top (OTT) platforms because some sections of the society are voicing concerns on its content. However, Khare also added that the ministry currently does not have any plan to impose any regulation.

    According to a Medianama report, the MIB secretary spoke at a seminar on film certification and regulation of online content, held in Mumbai on 10 October. He noted that while in all commonwealth countries, there are bodies to regulate content in films, newspapers and TV, there is no such provision for regulating content on OTT.

    “They [OTT platforms] do fall under the IT Act, but have no governance or self-regulation. This happens nowhere in the world,” Minister of Information and Broadcast Prakash Javadekar said via a video conference at the seminar. He mentioned that content creators of OTT platforms make all kinds of content including bad and obscene but there is no censor board.

    Notably, according to an India Today report, the Ministry of Technology said there is no monitoring of OTT content right now in response to an RTI.

    "So far as this ministry is concerned, the content on online platforms is not being regulated at present. However your application is being transferred under Section 6 (3) of the Act to CPIO, Ministry of Electronics and IT, New Delhi to provide information pertaining to them," MIB said as per the report.

  • Vidnet 2019 set to lead engaging discussions on the OTT industry

    Vidnet 2019 set to lead engaging discussions on the OTT industry

    AMUMBAI: As over-the-top (OTT) platforms have started capturing audiences from tier II, tier-III cities, beyond the top metro cities, all major players in the ecosystem have upped their investment significantly. Both international and homegrown players are trying to win more consumers with original content, innovative marketing strategy, and right distribution partnerships. 

    Despite the fact that the market is thriving, certain challenges like content protection, regulatory issues, monetisation, lack of measurement system are bothering video streaming services. Indiantelevision.com's flagship event Vidnet 2019 summit is ready to facilitate conversations on the opportunities and challenges of the ecosystem.

    Various studies have also indicated the bright future of video streaming in India. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report said that India’s video streaming service is set to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.82 per cent to reach Rs 11,977 crore by 2023. Moreover, media agency Zenith also predicted that by 2021 Indian consumers will spend 79 minutes per day on mobile internet, up from 54 minutes today.

    The summit is hosting panel discussions on OTT streaming piracy, OTT-telco relations, challenge of content protection, monetisation, consumer engagement, technology’s influence on storytelling along with other topics.

    Red Chillies Entertainment Gaurav Verma, The Linus Adventures founder and chief evangelist Sunil Lulla, House of Cheer founder and CEO Raj Nayak, Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gourav Rakshit, ZEE5 Global chief business officer Archana Anand, Viu India country head Vishal Maheshwari, Sony Pictures Networks India digital business head Uday Sodhi, IndiaCast Media Distribution group CEO Anuj Gandhi, Amazon Prime Video India originals head Aparna Purohit will participate in the sessions along with other veterans from the industry.

    "It is still day 0 in the Indian OTT landscape and the category has already witnessed exponential growth fuelled by affordability, accessibility and availability of data. Most of the growth in the category is on the back of marquee Indian originals and catch-up content from network TV. With evolving audience preferences, content consumption has now become device and screen agnostic, presenting significant growth opportunity for the category," Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gourav Rakshit said.